Picea abies
- Height: up to 40 m
- Trunk: very straight, brown-red to grey-brown, scaly when mature
- Crown: initially regular and conical, often irregular with age, with a flattened apex, hanging branches
- Leaves: densely arranged in a spiral, approx. 1–2 cm long, square-shaped, pointed and prickly needles, dark green, with a fine stomatal band on all sides
- Flowers: initially reddish, then yellow male flowers distributed throughout the crown; chimney-red to purplish-red, erect female flowers only in the upper crown region, in April/May
- Fruits/Seeds: elongated, slender cones, approx. 10–15 cm long, initially erect, later pendulous, brown when ripe, with winged seeds, disintegrating
- Other: susceptible to bark beetle infestation, sensitive to drought and heat
Photos: BUND Naturschutz in Bayern (1,2,3)